House passes bill to guarantee back pay

House passes bill to guarantee back pay

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The government is shutdown for the fifth day. Congress is having a tough time reaching an agreement while thousands are out of work.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The government is shutdown for the fifth day. Congress is having a tough time reaching an agreement while thousands are out of work. But Saturday, both sides came together to pass a bill which could help them.

Congress voted unianimously for a bill to pay back federal workers who've so far lost five days on the job. It passed the House 407 to 0. Nationwide, 800,000 federal workers were sent home Tuesday.

More than 100 were in Champaign County. Offices like the USDA and the U.S. Geological Survey's Illinois Water Science Center closed their doors. But Congress hopes passing the bill eases the pain and offers some hope.

"This bill today passed with unanimous support from all Republicans and all Democrats. It's the first real bipartisanship that I've seen in Washington. I hope it continues. The Senate is close to passing this bill too," Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) said.

It's now up to the Senate Majority Leader to hold a vote on the bill in the Senate. The President has said he will sign the bill if it gets to his desk.

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